Dawnn Lewis talks Carol Freeman's growth in Star Trek: Lower Decks

For a time, cartoon shows followed the same formula as comics. Each week you'd get a new adventure and for the most part, there'd be no carryover from episode to episode. In more recent years, that's changed, with storylines having long-lasting consequences that can be felt episodes if not seasons later. No longer did you have to hope for a multi-part set of episodes for a continuation of importance.

Now, cartoons were being treated similarly to other long-form storytelling mediums, and engaging in rich, impactful storytelling. This started as early as the 1990s with shows like X-Men and Spider-Man the animated series', but you could probably find older examples than them.

This is now a concept that more and more cartoons (and shows as a whole) follow. No longer confined to the weekly format of storytelling, more and more shows tell complicated and engaging narratives across multiple seasons. Star Trek: Lower Decks has followed in the footsteps of other contemporary cartoons in that regard, allowing their characters to grow and develop as the show goes on.

One of the characters that has grown the most is that of Captain Carol Freeman, a smaller character against the larger cast, but one who has made a sizeable impact considering her status as a "b-character" on the show. Played wonderfully by Dawnn Lewis, the Freeman character has grown considerably over the seasons.

Speaking to TrekMovie.com, Lewis spoke about her character's growth and how she feels seeing her evolve over the seasons;

"We self-criticized a lot, we saw a lot of what was wrong in those early seasons, and rightly so, but now we stop talking about what’s wrong and see some of those things as strengths, and where it can lead us to even greater strengths, which to me, is a beautiful commentary in life and humanity, that none of us are perfect, and so instead of self-criticizing all the time, recognize the good about you and the fact that there’s always room to be even better as you collaborate and cooperate with the people in your circle, in your village, on your job, in your family."

Freeman has become a fan favorite character, largely due to the dynamics with her daughter, the series lead, Beckett Mariner. Their dynamic was seen as somewhat relatable for many fans and their interactions always led to the series' high points.

With Star Trek: Lower Decks in its final season, we won't get a lot more from Lewis' Captain Freeman in this show, but there may be space somewhere down the line for a somewhat more serious version of the character to make their way over to the world of live-action Star Trek.

Which is something I think most people would love to see.